Orchids orchids everywhere...

I just returned from a weekend down to New Jersey to visit a good girlfriend. She suggested we drive into the city and check out the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. I was kind of thinking, gee, I'd rather hang out in her apartment, drink some wine, knit a bit and catch up. Besides, I work with orchids almost every day. I rotate many into my clients' offices on a monthly basis. Mostly phaelenopsis and dendrobium orchids. And yes, I think they are lovely, but yeah, you could say the novelty has worn off a bit for me. I'm an ass. The show was jaw dropping. I should have known better.

I saw orchids in so many shapes and colors that I have never seen before, and probably won't see again for many years to come. I just so happened to have my camera with me, which rarely occurs when I really want it. I was a picture taking fool. Red orchids! I love the red. And a green the shade of gross dyed beer for St. Patty's Day! Blue, lavender, mango orange! All the colors you never see in your typical, widely available phaelenopsis orchids.

There were orchids hanging from the ceiling, leaping out of carefully constructed "living walls", and living on trees. If you look closely in the picture above, you can see the fuschia colored mass is nothing more than dozens of orchids hanging suspended above the pond. There were even fragrant orchids! Ultimately, this show was a truly a color-lover's dream.

The show's creator was inspired by the work of Brazilian landscape designer, Roberto Burle Marx. One of his more famous projects is the Copa Cabana beach site/boardwalk area. Burle Marx's bold use of colors and shapes in the landscape and his use of tropical plants in most of his designs fit the show well. Back in the day when many landscape designers/architects combined and pursued other talents (think Noguchi with everything from sculpture, set design to furniture design and landscape design) Burle Marx took to painting. One of his large paintings was on display in the main room. You can see a glimpse of it in the first photo above.







So, of course, after the show, I had to spend an hour in their well appointed gift store where I purchased some unusual tomato seed, a mango colored begonia plant, three plant books I couldn't live without, a small fern (that I will soon kill, don't worry), a journal, and a NYBG magnent for my mom. Oh, and of course, a red orchid! Finally I have a red orchid! Photo to follow in the next post, I promise.